Buffalo fire warning

FOLLOWING a small bushfire at Lake Buffalo on Saturday afternoon authorities say they were surprised at the how quickly the ground has dried out

FOLLOWING a small bushfire at Lake Buffalo on Saturday afternoon authorities say they were surprised at the how quickly the ground has dried out after one of the wettest winters and starts to spring on record.

The fire which flared up along Yarrarabulla Creek Road at about 2pm on Saturday burned 3.5 hectares of bushland at the foot of Mt Buffalo National Park.

Forest Fire Management Victoria district manager Jarrod Hayse said the conditions and weather had played a part in kickstarting the fire.

“What it does show is if it’s a 20 degree-plus day and there is a bit of wind around the bush will burn at the moment which is quite surprising,” he said.

Mr Hayse said the cause of the fire had not been confirmed but he said it was the result of a campfire or unintentional light.

“It definitely wasn’t lightning or anything like that,” he said.

“It wasn’t big and it didn’t pose a great danger but if there weren’t people around to report it, it could have got quite big.

“With the fire danger period yet to be declared it is probably a bit of a warning to people that the ground is drying out quickly.